Strawberries are coming and Alejandra has recipes galore. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Alejandra Owens. You can find her at her food blog, One Bite At A Time. Alejandra also writes for City Eats DC, a Food Network site, where you can book dinner reservations. Follow her on Twitter at @frijolita and email her at alejandra[AT]borderstan.com. 

Last year, the most awful thing happened to me. I was at the grocery store, just weeks after the local strawberry season had ended and I was lamenting the lack of those little red jewels in my life. I was sad. I missed them!

So I bought a pint of the little buggers from The Teet.

Wow, was that a mistake. They were watery, tasteless and mealy. I mean, I didn’t really even understand what mealy felt like in my mouth until that moment. What the heck!? I had been eating grocery store strawberries my whole life (with the rare exception of cartons bought on the side of the road from Mexicans, who crossed the boarder to set up mini market stands — I grew up about 40 minutes from the U.S.–Mexico border) and in that moment, I felt screwed. Had they always tasted like that? Had I elevated myself to the next level of strawberry consciousness with my farmers market shopping ways?

I’m hoping I just landed a bad batch, ’cause as much as I try to shop local and seasonal, there are just moments, there are desserts, that call for strawberries when they’re not in season in like, you know,Pennsylvania!!!

This week’s FreshFarm Markets‘ newsletter mentioned that they would have strawberries from Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania this Saturday and I got tres excited. We can throw a strawberry party now, just so we’re ready.

Here are some strawberry recipes to get you started:

• Todd Thrasher’s Strawberry Smash sounds tart and refreshing for you boozehounds.
• Not Derby Pie has an off-beat but delicious sounding Strawberry Avocado Salad (bonus: essential tip about using salad dressing included).
• Breakfast is calling and Adventures in Shaw has Strawberry Scones for you to start the day.
• Yours truly brings you Strawberry Rhubarb Meringue Bars for a luscious, cool  dessert.
• Pete Bakes likes to wrap his strawberries in…bacon. I think I’m speechless.
• PopTarts, hand pies, whatever you wanna call them, Modern Domestic (aka Jenna of Whisked!) has ‘emfilled with strawberries for ya!

What’s on your market list for this weekend? Don’t forget, if you have questions about the market, just tweet me!

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The Dupont Farmers Market. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Alejandra Owens. You can find her at her food blog, One Bite At A Time. Alejandra also writes for City Eats DC, a Food Network site, where you can book dinner reservations. Follow her on Twitter at @frijolita and email her at alejandra[AT]borderstan.com.

For all my resistance of the label “foodie” and the innumerable times I have reminded friends, “I like dirty little street carts just as much as I like five star restaurants!” I realized I had become something I’d so actively avoided.

I very clearly remember the moment I realized I had become a food snob.

It was last fall, just after the Dupont Farmers Market had gone from robust and bustling to lean and limited. The first weekend I made my usual rounds from stand to stand, buying up my staples. Clear Spring Creamery, my milk vendor, was notably not present. I figured they were taking a few weekends off after the hustle and madness of the summer’s market schedule. Two weekends went by and my milk was still gone. Three. Four.

I was desperate. My coffee was desperate. So I went to Cowgirl Creamery, not far from my office, and bought a pint of whole milk. I’ve always been in love with Trickling Springs Creamery’s nostalgic glass bottle packaging. If it’s possible to romantically drink milk, this is how you do it.

The next morning I poured some milk into my coffee and my spidey senses went off like my morning alarm. Something wasn’t right. Did I make my coffee wrong? Was the milk bad? I tasted everything separately, only to conclude everything was fine. The milk tasted different though, it wasn’t what I was used to.

A month in, still using the new milk every morning, I realized what tasted different. Grass. I could taste grass. What the eff? Who tastes the terroir in milk?! Over the last couple years my sense of taste and smell have gone wild. I’d been starting to wonder if I should take wine classes or something.

And just like that I’d finally jumped the shark. I wasn’t snottily selecting wine, angrily discussing the foie gras ban in CA or waxing poetic about a farmers market/locavore diet. I was snotty about my milk. It’s already hard for me to drink grocery store milk – it’s the equivalent of Starbucks’ burnt coffee beans; no taste! But this…local/organic/blah blah milk… I’m being critical of this milk?!

A new low, or a new preference? I’m chalking this up to a case of extreme, and hyper-local brand loyalty.

Be sure to stop by Clear Springs Creamery at the Dupont Farmers Market this Sunday. Not only do they sell fabulously creamy, rich milk, they also sell probiotic yogurt drinks that are irresistible to kids and adults alike.

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Enjoy corn during the season. (Alejandra Owens)

From Alejandra Owens. You can find her at her food blog, One Bite At A Time. Alejandra also writes for City Eats DC, a Food Network site, where you can book dinner reservations. Follow her on Twitter at @frijolita and email her at alejandra[AT]borderstan.com.

I should start off by saying, I am not the biggest corn fan. It’s seriously in season at the markets right now and a quick skim of all the food blogs shows an abundance of recipes for corn chowder or corn and bean salads or worse…cornbread with corn actually in it. The horror! Nope. I don’t don’t go gaga over the stuff, but for two preparations: popped or grilled. Today, I’m here to share with you my grilled corn recipe, which really is no secret to Paula Deen lovers and those from the South.

Be prepared for mess, or ask, as I did, a dinner companion to “help.” Which is to say, you sprinkle or splarge the ingredients on the corn while they do the spreading or rotating.

Step One: Place one cleaned ear of corn in the middle of a piece of aluminum foil large enough to completely wrap around it.

Step Two: Splarge (a very technical term) 1-2 tablespoons of mayo (yes, I said mayo) onto the corn and evenly spread it over the whole ear of corn.

Step Three: Sprinkle Cholula dry seasoning evenly all over the ear of corn. Sprinkle finely grated parmesan all over the ear of corn, completely coating it in cheese. Feelin’ like something spicy? Add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce!

Step Four: You’ll probably want to wash your hands at this point…then wrap it all up in the foil and place on a hot grill (300-350 degrees) for 15 minutes or so.

Step Five: Unwrap corn and devour.

I mean really, how can this be bad? It can’t. And I’m not even a huge fan of mayo as a condiment! Basically whenever I make this grilled corn I become fixated on it, unable to speak or eat anything else until I’ve consumed the entire ear. True story. The stuff is addictive.

Make a few ears for your BBQ this week and let me know what you think!

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From Namita Koppa. Email her at namita[AT]borderstan.com.

Question: Have you ever seen a sad person at a farmers’ market? Probably not, right? A leisurely weekend morning walk through Dupont’s stands of gorgeous produce and fresh-baked pastries is hardly the type of thing to bring up tears or frustrations. It’s an amazing experience to chat with the person who actually grew that perfect tomato you’re taking home, or to even learn that sweet potato greens exist (a very good thing, I assure you!). In Borderstan, we are very lucky to have multiple farmers’ markets available within walking distance, including the Dupont Farmers Market (Sundays) and the 14 and U Farmers Market (Saturdays).

As the local food movement takes off across the country, increasing research argues that where our food comes from, its environmental effects, and how food is processed affects not only our health, but also our economic well-being. Recently, NPR’s The Salt released this sobering analysis about the impact of meat consumption.

Real Time Farms a Nationwide Food Guide

In 2010, Real Time Farms, a crowd-sourced, nationwide food guide, opened its doors and website. Using data collected by citizens, Real Time Farms maps where, when, and what products are available from farmers, farmers’ markets, food artisans, and restaurants, allowing users to make informed choices about their food consumption.

To learn why Real Time Farms began, check this TED talk delivered by Co-Founder Cara Rosaen. Locally find out what DC Food Warrior Rachel Lupberger is doing this summer.

Rachel Lupberger from Real Time Farms. (Namita Koppa)

Recently, I chatted with Rachel Lupberger, Real Time Farms’ DC Food Warrior. Charged with mapping the DC food landscape, Rachel will spend her summer interviewing, photographing, and filming members of the District’s local food system. Inspired by her childhood in the suburbs of DC and her undergraduate studies at Lewis & Clark College, she has been surprised to learn what the food system is like here.

Speaking of a recent visit to the Dupont Circle Farmers Market, Rachel said, “Finding out the closest farms are an hour, two hours, three hours away…there’s not really easy access to fresh produce in lower-income communities… I still think about it being a more [of a] middle class thing.”

As Rachel moves through her Food Warrior internship this summer, she has graciously agreed to keep us posted on her findings. To read more about her adventures, check out her Food Warrior webpage.

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What you’ll need to make a Sweet and Savory Peach and Barley Salad.
 (Chelsea Rinnig)

From Chelsea Rinnig. Email her at chelsea[AT}borderstan.com

There’s nothing more reminiscent of summer vacation than eating a ripe peach—the kind that bursts as soon as your teeth break into the fuzzy skin, oozing syrupy juice between your fingers.

In my humble opinion, if you have to pick and choose what to buy, put down that bundle of kale for the umpteenth month in a row and go ahead and buy a pound (or five) of peaches. Stone fruits are just coming into their peak at the market, be it in the sour June cherries or the abundance of peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots that will be around for the next couple of months.

The peaches at market right now are so fragrant and ripe that it’s a challenge to resist eating them right on the spot. I hardly had the patience as a child and certainly don’t all these years later (*see recent blotchy orange stains in my laundry).

However, if you manage to get some home, I personally recommend trying out your peaches in a savory dish.  They are wonderful roasted—on top of salads or pizza—and this time I put mine into a healthy, barley-based grain salad that utilizes the sweet juice of the peaches in place of any dressing whatsoever. You will be the envy of all your coworkers when you bring leftovers in for lunch. All of the ingredients in this recipe can be found at the Dupont Farmers Market on Sundays!

Sweet and Savory Peach and Barley Salad

Serves 3 as an appetizer or 2 for lunch

Ingredients

• 1 large, ripe peach
• 2 sweet red onions
• ½ cup uncooked, hulled barley
• 1 bunch purple basil (though green works too)
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Oil of your preference (I used flaxseed oil)
• A couple handfuls of greens such as spinach or chopped romaine lettuce

Preparation 

1. Rinse and drain the uncooked barley under cold water. Bring three parts water to one part barley to a boil and reduce to a simmer. It will take about an hour for the barley to fully absorb the water.
2. Wash and pat dry basil. Finely chop onions and basil. Combine with oil, salt, pepper and cooked barley.
3. Cup peach away from the pit into chunks.
4. Serve grain mixture over bed of greens and top with peaches, serve and revel!

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From Alejandra Owens. You can find her at her food blog, One Bite At A Time. Alejandra also writes for City Eats DC, a Food Network site, where you can book dinner reservations. Follow her on Twitter at @frijolita and email her at alejandra[AT]borderstan.com.

Just waiting to be made into Cherry Almond Cake. (Alejandra Owens)

Cherries are, by far, my favorite summer fruit. Mostly because they’re a fruit that doubles as interactive sport. Uncouth as it may be, I’m a pro cherry pit spitter. Slam dunks into trash cans, spot on target practice with unwitting victims (usually our dogs back at home)…I say screw it with that pseudo-sexual cherry stem tying shit and go right for the pit spitting.

But I also enjoy cherries and their robust flavor for baking. Last summer I had procured, per usual, too many pints of cherries and had to do something with them. (Why am I always baking at the last possible ripened minute?) After watching some Cooking Chanel, I decided to play around with one of my favorite cherry pairings, almonds, and a cake a recipe that seemed nice enough, but really dull.

The result was my cherry almond cake. It was moist, fluffy and had a nice crumb to it. It’s a perfect breakfast cake or light dessert, you need only brave the pain of pitting all the cherries because this particular cake is so damn easy to pull together!

What will you be making with cherries this season? Anyone making ice creams sans an ice cream maker lately? I’d love some tips and recipes if you’d like to share!

Cherry Almond Cake

Inspired by Laura Calder’s Angel Cakeand the cherry almond scones at Dolcezza in Dupont Circle.

• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1-1 1/2c pitted, rough chopped cherries (very rough, cut each half in half)
• 1/4c ground almonds, 1 tbsp sliced almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and line a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Beat the whites to stiff peaks in a bowl. Beat in the yolks, one by one. Continuing to beat, add the sugar and vanilla, and finally the flour. You should have a very high, moussy batter. Gently fold in the cherries and ground almonds.
3. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake until golden on top, risen high, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and let cool completely. Transfer the cake to a serving platter.
4. Serve with whipped cream, creme fraiche, parfait, or ice cream. Ideally I would have eaten this, I mean, served this, with creme fraiche…but it was just me. And I didn’t have time to make creme fraiche. I wanted to eat it all. Now. But for you guys, who might take this to a party, serve it with creme fraiche!

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“Strawberries” is by ekelly80 from the Borderstan flickr pool.

Photos of the Day are pulled from the Borderstan Reader Photos pool on Flickr.

Today’s photo, “Try One” was taken by ekelly80 on May 21 at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market.

If you don’t already have a Flickr account, you will need to sign up for one, and then join the Borderstan Reader Photos group. Already a Flickr member? Join the group! You can submit up to five photos per day in the Borderstan reader pool. We are looking for photos from D.C.’s Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods.

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Garlic Scapes. (Chelsea Rinnig)

From Chelsea Rinnig. Email her at chelsea[AT}borderstan.com

Did I mention I work at the farmers market? Yep, and as I check folks out with all their bounty, many are baffled by the relatives of traditional, bolder garlic and onions: garlic scapes. Shallots, leeks and chives, once relatively uncommon, have been popularized and are regulars on our plates.

But my new favorite of the bunch that has solicited the most questioning and bug-eyed stares are the sprawling garlic scapes. Twisting like vines out of boxes at many of the market’s vegetable stands, they’re up there with kohlrabi in the weird factor.

Most will pick up a bunch as an impulse purchase, but few realize how powerful these tall-stemmed garlic really are. I find that one strand is enough to compensate for three or four cloves of garlic, and certainly leaves the same potent fragrance as its cousin. One advantage the scape has, though, is that it is much easier to deal with.

Garlic scapes require no peeling or crushing and can simply be chopped from the stem to the base of the small bulb (which, though edible, can be a bit more bitter than stalk).

Include garlic scapes in place of normal garlic and reduce your prep time (and meticulous mincing frustrations) dramatically. If you’re at all like me, you totally splurged, went for the bundle of garlic scapes and now have more than you know what to do with. I took this as an opportunity to make a new pesto — garlic scape pesto is bold, bright and flavorful, and can use the entire stalk of the scape without waste.

This recipe can easily adapt for various food allergies by omitting nuts and/or substituting with sunflower seeds. I have seen a few recipes include vegan cheeses or ricotta as an option as well. For those looking to play around a bit, try adding a few basil leaves, parsley or any other fresh herb and see how the flavor profile changes.

Pesto is great to have on hand for those nights when you just don’t have the energy to do more than boil pasta. I even put my pesto on top of brown rice or quinoa, chill it for cold pasta salads or spread it over toast on an egg sandwich. What did you do with your garlic scapes? Let me know and I’ll give it a shot too!

Ingredients and Prep

• 1/2 lb. garlic scapes (about 15 scapes)
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• juice from half a lemon

1. Roughly chop the garlic scapes before combining all ingredients into a food processor or blender.
2. I also like to add a little zest for the lemon before I juice it as well.
3. Serve immediately over cooked pasta or store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

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Raspberries: roast them! (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Alejandra Owens. You can find her at her food blog, One Bite At A Time. Alejandra also writes for City Eats DC, a Food Network site, where you can book dinner reservations. Follow her on Twitter at @frijolita and email her at alejandra[AT]borderstan.com.

Little orbs of red lip stain. Or little orbs of why-do-I-ever-wear-white stain. That’s two ways of looking at raspberries, regardless, they’re making their debut at the farmers markets. Last week, you could find them at 14th and U Street market!

While a half pint of these little summer jewels can set you back $4 or more, I think they’re worth the price. And at that price, you’ll want to get every last juicy dribble of flavor out of them. May I introduce you to the idea of low and slow, roasted berries? Oh, hello Ina Garten, fancy seeing you here! What’s a gal like you doing in a blog like this!? Combine all the summer berries you like, or maybe go mono-berry, combine them with sugar and vanilla (maybe throw a tablespoon or two of rum or bourbon in there) and what you’ll get the most intense berry juice and compote-like topping for ice cream, pound cake, angel food cake or even as a filler for a galette! Brunch tip: drizzle 2 teaspoons in the bottom of a champagne glass filled to the brim with your favorite bubbly!

Brunch tip: drizzle 2 teaspoons in the bottom of a champagne glass filled to the brim with your favorite bubbly!

Of course raspberries would be perfect in scones, biscuits, and tarts too! What is your favorite thing to do with summer berries?

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From Alejandra Owens. You can find her at her food blog, One Bite At A Time. Alejandra also writes for City Eats DC, a Food Network site, where you can book dinner reservations. Follow her on Twitter at @frijolita and email her at alejandra[AT]borderstan.com.

It’s no secret that rosemary can amp up your chicken or that cilantro transforms tomatoes and onions from vegetable salad to salsa. But did you know that herbs can zsush up your salad or even a cocktail? They’re so much more than you thought, and I promise you, fresh is WAY better than the dried stuff you’re buying in plastic bottles at the grocery store.

While I usually give you a list of recipes to try out with an ingredient, this time I’m gonna drop a kitchen basics bomb on you. Some of the most simple things to do with herbs are the best — highlighting the subtlety of their flavors and complimenting the flavors or textures around them. My top list of herbs to buy at the market include:

Herbs at the farmers markets. (Alejandra Owens)

• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme
• Lemon thyme
• Tarragon
• Oregano
• Mint
• Dill
• Chives
• Basil/Purple Basil
• Cilantro

And the best things to do with them?

• Tear, smash or roll herbs in your palms then add them to a bowl of salad greens and give them a good toss with a light dressing.
• Bundle a variety of herbs, no matter which ones, with a bit of string or twine and throw them into a pot of soup, a braise, or with a roast/chicken.
• Smash or roll herbs in your palm and put them in a bottle of olive oil for a flavorful infusion.
• Finely chop any herb you like, stir into softened butter, reshape into a log using parchment paper and you have compound butter.
• Finely chop any herb and mix it with a soft, spreadable cheese like goat cheese or quark for an infused spread.
• Roughly chop a few herbs and throw them into a basic marinade for grilling meats

Bam! I just gave you about 9,847,598,734 different dishes or things you can do with all the herbs that are out in force at the markets right now! Seriously, don’t be afraid to pick up a bundle of herbs at the market and just throw them in with something.

While, yes, some herbs traditionally pair well with certain things, there’s no hard and fast rule that applies to pairing herbs with proteins or dips or anything like that. Just go with the flow and give it a try, maybe cilantro with some shredded cucumbers and yogurt would make a fabulous dip!

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